Men’s Commercial Hockey League gets a reboot for 2024

Tim Brody - Editor

The Sioux Lookout Hockey League (SLHL) is looking to rebuild for the 2024-2025 season.
The league informed it has made a “significant organizational shift from the past”, taking over the registration and rostering of players.
“We ran into issues last season in which players weren’t paying their Captains who, in turn, couldn’t pay their league fees. As a result, two teams folded mid-season last year and our regular season and playoffs had to be suspended,” the league shared, stating it was left with a financial deficit.
League Coordinator Matt Cairns stated, “Many of the shortcomings the past few years have been on the league leadership, for failing to manage the hierarchy of the league and hold Captains, and players, to account. I am not ready to watch this league that I helped organize many years ago with Shawn Potter and Adam Parent, and more recently with Joe Cassidy, cease operations.”
“Each player will now register with and pay their dues directly to the league before stepping on the ice,” the league stated, noting, “We are in a substantially better position financially and operationally to continue to operate the league in a responsible and viable manner going forward.”
“These changes to make this League better for all of us,” Cairns noted. 
“The ability to play organized, competitive adult hockey is important to all of our players as a social event, means to get active and stay healthy and continue to participate in the sport. Perhaps most importantly, hockey is central to the mental health of a lot of our players,” Cairns commented.
The league noted:
•    Our league employs timekeepers and qualified on-ice officials, providing players the opportunity to play in an organized structure rather than “drop in” type hockey.
•    Registration for the 2024-25 season is $475 per player.
•    Each team will play 24 regular season games plus playoffs
“The SLHL will accumulate all registrations by October 1st and build teams based on registration numbers. We will endeavour to keep friends and former teammates together, but by taking this control of the rosters we are able to streamline team numbers, maximize revenue and reduce costs to our players,” the league shared, adding it hopes to create at least three teams this season, with the goal being four teams; each team consisting of at least 17 players.
“The league will provide jerseys to each player on a rental basis and will sport our revamped 2024 SLHL logo, and are sourced locally through Catspaw Printing,” the league informed.
To register, interested players are invited to go to tinyurl.com/SLHL24 or facebook.com/SLHockey.